Love Potion
by Ketchup27
Summary: Seto Kaiba is not a man who falls in love. But after a shut down of a research project will he be forced into feelings? And with who? Well, there is someone...but he blames it on the potion. Azureshipping, based off of a prompt. Rated T for a few curse words, but no f-bomb. Intended as a one-shot but I may add on.


"What do you mean _Love Potion?"_

Kaiba looked down at the red vials on the lab table with disgust. The thick liquid reminded him of cough syrup and the sickly sweet sent made his stomach curl.

"Yes mister Kaiba! Our research team has found a mixture that provokes feelings of adore and affection. It is similar to chocolate by releasing Phenyl ethylamine into the system, but at a stronger intensity. We consider it to be the greatest aphrodisiac."

Glaring at the older man, Kaiba sneered at the thought of his company wasting time on something as fickle as a love potion. It was absolutely stupid.

"I don't appreciate the fact that you wasted time and money on something so foolish. Why would I want a project like this funded? You better have a good explanation for this, Mr. Wilson!"

Mr. Wilson used a handkerchief to dab at the sweat forming on his forehead. Trying to make eye contact with the teenage CEO was proving to be very difficult. His icy glare was intensifying with each stutter Mr. Wilson made.

"Well…uh… M-Mr. Kaiba I was only trying to-"

"Spit it out!" Kaiba hissed; he could already feel a headache forming in his temples.

Mr. Wilson winced as he scrambled to find a reasonable response that wont get him fired.

"T-this could be a breakthrough on the study of human chemistry Mr. Kaiba! I'm sure that people would be willing to pay to have a chance at using this product!"

"Oh really?" Kaiba raised an eyebrow skeptically, "What exactly does this stuff do? Has it even been tested yet?"

"No Mr. Kaiba, at least not on human subjects. But the hamsters that we used have shown remarkable results that I think-"

Kaiba growled as he slammed a hand on the table, "I don't care about the stupid hamsters! This was a waste of time. Discard all research at once and focus your attention on something valuable or you'll be out of a job!"

With one final sneer Kaiba strode out of the research center. Mr. Wilson glowered at the door Kaiba left from.

Mr. Wilson muttered, "How dare he mock my research. All of my work reduced to nothing! "

He took a look at the vials left on the table and plucked one from the stand. Fiddling it in his hands, an idea formed in his head. Slowly a dark smile formed on his face. Tucking the vial in his lab coat pocket, Mr. Wilson hurried off to the staffroom.

* * *

Kaiba sighed as he finally sat down at his desk. This morning was stressful enough but, with the love potion fiasco, his work was even more behind schedule.

"Love potion." Kaiba huffed as he logged onto his computer, "What a ridiculous idea."

After working for a few hours Kaiba felt the onset of fatigue. This usually happened after scanning stocks and other repetitive company information. He reached for his office phone and called his secretary.

After a few rings a woman answered, "Yes Mr. Kaiba?"

"Bring me a green tea, no sugar."

"Right away Mr. Kaiba."

Laying the phone on the dock, Kaiba decided to look over some recent advertisements of the company. He didn't have to look too long before coming across a photo of Yugi and his band of misfits. His eyes narrowed as he took in their smiling faces and goofy friendly poses. If he were being totally truthful with himself, Kaiba would say that the dorks were not actually horrible people. In fact, they were the most do-good bunch he has ever met.

It was perhaps that reason as to why he felt no need to join in their little social circle. He wasn't perfect or a hero to anyone, spare his little brother. The idea of spending time with them felt awkward and alien. Plus, it wasn't like he was friendly to them in the first place. An acceptance letter was probably out of the question. Not like we wanted one in the first place…

His thoughts were interrupted when his secretary entered the room with his tea. She briskly walked to his desk and set down the glass teacup before leaving his office without a word. Kaiba barely spared her a glance before returning to his computer. Idly he grabbed the handle and took a rather large sip of the sweet liquid.

Kaiba swallowed thickly before looking at the cup in annoyance.

"Sweet? I told her I didn't want any sugar."

After taking one final glance at the photo on his monitor, Kaiba turned his attention to his phone. But before he could call the secretary and criticize her mistake, a large man barreled through his office doors.

"MR. KAIBA, PLEASE DON'T DRINK THAT!"

Surprise was an understatement on Kaiba's face when his security guard snatched the cup and threw it against the wall. The CEO's eyebrows furrowed as he stood up from his chair.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you out of your mind?!"

The large man turned toward his boss and apologized profusely, "I am sorry Mr. Kaiba! But I could not let you drink something that was contaminated!"

Kaiba blinked, "Contaminated? What are you talking about?"

Another burly man who had blonde hair walked in through the door. He was restraining a smaller man, whom Kaiba immediately recognized as Mr. Wilson. The blonde security guard pulled Mr. Wilson around and presented him towards his boss.

"This man was seen on the cameras pouring an unknown liquid into your drink, sir."

Looking at the smaller man, Kaiba's gaze turned icy. It didn't take long for the young genius to piece together the information. Taking a step toward Mr. Wilson, Kaiba glared down at the researcher.

"So, just because I didn't want to fund your fairy tale bullshit, you decided to slip the product into my drink. Is that right, Mr. Wilson? How pathetic. I hope it doesn't come as a surprise to you that you will be fired immediately. It will be a miracle if you can find work in this town once I'm done with you."

Mr. Wilson glared back at the young man several years his junior, "You have no idea what lengths I went through to produce such a potion! It would have revolutionized the way humans interacted with each other! But you are foolish to dismiss it so quickly; it makes since that you would never be able to understand human feelings!"

Scoffing, Kaiba leaned in and spoke harshly, "It's better to let people think you are an idiot than to open your mouth and prove it. It is not our right to have a say in the emotions of others. Think real hard about the repercussions of your work. Would it be used for good? Hardly. Humans are not good in the slightest. People do not need control over other's emotions, that's when things get messy."

Mr. Wilson laughed darkly, "Mock me if you so choose! But you have an untested substance in your system! Who knows what it will do to a human? This could torment you on the highest level; death is even a possibility! Your emotions could destroy you Mr. Kaiba!"

Kaiba smirked, "I don't have emotions. Take him away."

Once the large men escorted Mr. Wilson out of the room, Kaiba frowned. While he didn't believe that he would fall in love with anyone due to the potion, it would be a good idea to test for other side effects. Reaching for the phone he called down to the research center and requested a full analysis of the potion. After receiving a confirmation he hung up and glanced at the clock. It was lunchtime and his brother was supposed to meet him at a local café in downtown Domino.

Sighing, he rose from his seat and grabbed his suitcase before heading out the door. Hopefully the results will be in once he returns.

* * *

"A love potion?" Mokuba asked as he peeked over his menu.

Kaiba nodded absently, his mind still swarming with possibilities of what this experiment could do to him.

The brothers were sitting in a booth in the back of the café where people were less likely to bother them. Kaiba had given Mokuba a run down of what happened earlier, to which the younger brother listened intently.

"Do you know how it works? Or if there are any harmful ingredients?"

Leaning back in his chair Kaiba shook his head, "No, but research is analyzing it now. Hopefully they will have something for me soon."

Mokuba opened his mouth to speak but the arrival of their waitress diverted his focus. Seeing his little brother's eyes widen caught Kaiba's attention. Turning in his seat he became face to face with the same blue eyes he saw in the picture on his computer this morning.

"Kaiba?"

"Gardner…"

She looked flustered in more ways than one. The café was very popular and there were many customers waiting to be served. Her hair was tied up in a bun with tendrils escaping to frame her face. Her bangs stuck to her forehead from the sweat that had formed there. Flushed cheeks gave her a youthful appearance and her eyes sparkled with surprise.

"I didn't know you worked here Téa." Mokuba piped in.

"Oh," Téa smiled lightly. "Just one of my many talents! So, uh, can I start you guys off with a drink?"

"I want an orange soda. What about you Seto?"

The young boy turned to look at his brother but paused when he saw the intense stare he was giving Téa. Kaiba didn't know why but he kept thinking about seeing her in that picture this morning. The photo really didn't do her any justice; her eyes were much more expressive in person. It was obvious that she was nervous under his gaze and that sent a little thrill through his spine to see her so shy. Almost in a trance, Kaiba spoke his thoughts bluntly.

"Your eyes are so blue."

Téa blinked in surprise, she was not prepared to have Kaiba make any form of small talk. Trying to regain her composure, she laughed nervously.

"Thank you? … So what can I get you to drink, Kaiba?"

It seemed as if a haze lifted from his eyes and reality sunk in. Quickly breaking eye contact, he replied stiffly, "Water."

Scribbling down their drink orders and with a muttered "I'll get those right out", she dashed off to the kitchen. Once she was out of sight, Mokuba look at his brother in disbelief.

"What the heck was that?"

Kaiba didn't answer; instead his mind was going a mile a minute. What happened? His mouth seemed to speak on it own. Even if the thoughts were his, he wasn't supposed to voice them aloud.

Mokuba gasped, "You don't think it was the love potion, do you? It could be making you act all funny!"

Kaiba's eyes shot up to meet his brother's gaze, "That's not possible. The project was in the early stages, the only bad thing I expect it to do is make me sick."

His little brother smirked and laughed, "Yeah, make you love sick for Téaaaaaaa~!"

Kaiba scoffed, "Very funny. There is no way that this stupid ' _love potion'_ actually works. It's probably just making me delirious and temporarily insane. I wouldn't fall for anyone, especially Gardner."

"But Seto, her ' _eyes are so blue'_!" Mokuba snickered while mockingly fluttering his eyelashes.

The elder brother rolled his eyes at his brother's teasing. Falling for Gardner? What a ridiculous thought. While she was easy on the eyes, he had no time or interest in ever pursuing a romantic relationship. He rolled his eyes when he caught sight of her returning to their table.

"Alrightie, here are your drinks! Are you guys ready to order?"

Téa gently set down the glasses on their assigned coasters before pulling out her ticket pad. Kaiba couldn't help but notice her uniform that she was required to wear for work. With a white short sleeve blouse and a dark gray skirt, she looked more professional than he had ever seen her. But for some reason he felt like it didn't represent her personality correctly. It didn't suit her.

Glancing at her nametag, he felt a strange wave of relief when he saw a cutesy Dark Magician Girl pin on her collar. It made her clothes seem more like her style, rather than the average waitress he'd seen scurrying around.

"Nice pin." Kaiba smirked. "Did your boyfriend Yugi get it for you at some cheap store?"

Téa frowned, "For your information, Kaiba, Yugi is not my boyfriend. But yes, he got it for me when I got this job. And I like it, so I have no need for your opinion."

Mokuba watched silently as the bickering began. It was strange to see this interaction, because although harsh words were being spoken, his brother seemed to be strangely enjoying himself.

' _Is he…flirting? He's not doing a very good job.'_

"Why don't you get a pin that doesn't make you look like a 5-year old?"

"I'll get whatever pin I want, Kaiba. Now are you going to order or are we going to argue all afternoon?"

"We'll order." Mokuba cut in before another rude comment was made.

After the orders were taken and Téa left the table, Mokuba frowned at his brother.

"Bro, I think you need to get those results soon."

Raising an eyebrow, Kaiba swirled his drink with the straw. "Why do you say that?"

Sighing the younger brother thought of the best way to break it to Seto about how he was basically flirting like a kid with his first crush. Teasing and pulling ponytails immediately came to mind. Well, he was a Kaiba, might as well be blunt.

"You were totally flirting with Téa just now."

Kaiba felt his stomach flip and heat cover his neck. Immediately his defenses shot up as he denied his brother's accusations.

"Last I checked insults are not usual ways to express affection. I think your taking this too seriously."

Mokuba scoffed, "I know you, Seto. These were not your typical insults; you were being playful. It was really weird. Besides have you ever seen little kids flirt? They do the same thing."

"Aren't you a 'little kid'?"

"I'm a preteen, thank you very much."

Crossing his arms and smirking, Kaiba looked at his brother mockingly. "Oh really? Sorry, _kiddo_ but the word 'preteen' is what you call a _kid_ who wants to be a teenager. Simple as that."

Mokuba waved him off, "Whatever. All I'm saying is that you are being a lot more…flirtatious with Téa. Do you think the potion had something to do with this?"

Kaiba thought about it for a minute. It's true that today he has talked to her more than usual and he may have…not hated it. But he was making fun of her! That wasn't flirting, was it?

It was at that moment when a young couple walked by and the brothers couldn't help but overhear their exchange.

"Why do you wear that bow in your hair? Are you a kid or something?" The boy laughed as he flicked the bow with his finger.

The girl pouted but giggled when the boy hugged her waist, "Shut up, I know you think it looks cute!"

They continued out the door, with an aura of pink basically surrounding them. Kaiba felt dread in the pit of his stomach. The conversation was too familiar for comfort. There was no way, absolutely no way, that the potion was making him act that way.

Looking at his younger brother, Kaiba couldn't help but groan at the knowing smirk plastered on his face.

"Damn it…" Kaiba muttered.

* * *

It wasn't long before the food came out in the hands of the girl in question. When she got to the table Kaiba was very quiet as opposed to his earlier teasing. Téa couldn't help but wonder why he was being so different from before. He wasn't even making eye contact with her.

Mokuba however seemed to be in good spirits as he thanked her for the food. Brushing it off, she told the brothers to let her know if they needed anything and went back to the kitchen. Once she got back to the waitress station, one of her coworkers grabbed her arm playfully.

"Téa, you sly vixen! I saw you flirting with that guy just now. Don't tell me your picking up guys on the job?"

Blinking Téa looked at the petite redhead on her arm, "What are you even talking about Maya? I wasn't flirting with anybody."

Rolling her eyes Maya grinned, "Please girl, you can't fool me. You and Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome were totally into each other."

Téa frowned, "You mean Kaiba? There is no way any of that was flirting, he was only insulting me."

Picking up plates for her table, Maya giggled. "You ever heard of guys teasing girls they like? Just saying!"

Téa watched as Maya went back out to the floor. Sighing she turned back to the bar to gather her own table's food. There was no way Kaiba would be interested in her like _that_.

' _He probably doesn't even think about those kinds of things anyway.'_ She thought simply before carrying the food to the next table.

* * *

"This can't be right. A stupid syrup shouldn't be able to make me act differently."

Mokuba couldn't help but laugh lightly at his brother's turmoil. Something so normal was affecting him so badly.

"Well, maybe it's not the potion." Mokuba said simply.

Looking at his brother, Kaiba raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "Explain?"

"Maybe it's all in your head. It is possible, dear brother, for these feelings to be real."

Kaiba sneered in disgust, "I hardly know her. I'm not going to get feelings for some girl I rarely talk to!"

Taking a bite of his food, Mokuba grinned, "That actually happens all the time, its called _attraction_."

Téa frowned, "What do you know about attraction, Mokuba?"

Both brothers spun around to meet the owner of the voice. Kaiba felt strangely uneasy about her listening in on their conversation. What if she heard about all this potion nonsense?

"I didn't take you for a snoop, Gardner." He hissed.

She rolled her eyes, "Calm down, I was just coming over to refill your drinks. But it is strange topic considering it involves sweet little Mokuba and his unsociable older brother."

"Well," Mokuba paused to take a sip of his drink; "Seto accidently drank this love potion at Kaiba Corp and-"

"Mokuba!" Kaiba snapped, angry that his brother had such a big mouth.

Téa laughed, "Love potion? You guys are joking with me, right? There's no such thing!"

Her smile faded when she noticed that neither of them seemed amused. Kaiba sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The cat was out of the bag anyway…

"Some idiot spiked my tea with this experimental liquid that was supposed to induce feelings of love, sort of like an aphrodisiac on steroids. As far as I can tell I don't feel much different, so the potion is hopefully a bust."

Téa seemed thoughtful for a few moments. Her _blue_ eyes inspected Kaiba deeply, which made an odd tightening sensation occur in his throat.

"So Kaiba," She asked slowly, "Have you had any symptoms or reaction to anybody? Is that what the potion does?"

"Well…" Mokuba started before a cold look was thrown his way by his brother. The boy rolled his eyes but remained quiet.

"No, not exactly." Kaiba continued, avoiding her gaze.

"Really? That's good, I guess. Well, if you guys need any help with this just let me know. I'll bring your bill in just a moment."

Once she turned the corner, Kaiba let out a sigh of relief. That could have been messy and he wasn't to keen on letting her in on his personal business. Ignoring the pointed look Mokuba was giving him, Kaiba continued to enjoy his meal.

When he continued to feel his brother's eyes burning holes Kaiba finally made eye contact.

"What's wrong?"

Sighing, Mokuba crossed his arms. "I know you don't like the situation, and you are definitely not going to like what I am about to suggest. But, what if we see how this potion plays out with Téa around?"

Kaiba almost choked on his water, having to clear his throat before answering his brother.

"Why on earth would I ever do that?"

"Think about it bro, we need to know if this potion has any other effects on the human body. And, if it is long term, we need to figure out a way to fix it!"

Glancing at Téa from the corner of his eye Kaiba felt dread hit his stomach hard. He really didn't want to have her anywhere near him, especially when this 'devil's nectar' was making him act so odd.

"Seto." Mokuba whispered, "She could help us get you back to normal!"

Running a hand through his hair, Kaiba gritted his teeth and reluctantly replied,

"Fine. But if she becomes a nuisance, she's gone."

* * *

Téa seemed shocked when Mokuba called her over and told her of "the plan". She glanced over at the elder brother, who was glaring into his cup. Téa didn't really notice anything different about him, other than he wasn't _too_ much of a jerk as usual today. What bothered her the most was that Mokuba avoided telling her why she was needed to help Kaiba. She really had no relationship with him, other than distant acquaintances.

She hesitantly agreed to help, (damn her good heart), and told the brothers that she would go to Kaiba Corp after her shift ended at 3. Mokuba thanked her and Kaiba nodded at her before leaving quietly after paying for the bill. Sighing, Téa couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake. Shaking it off she went to clear off the table where the brothers had sat. After stacking the silverware and plates she noticed that a tip lay in the middle of the table. Her eyes widened at the two hundred dollar bills waiting for her.

As she picked them up she felt something solid between them. Sliding it out she was shocked, and slightly amused, to find silver pin fall into her other hand. The combined letters of KC reflected the light as she looked at it closer. Rolling her eyes, but smiling, she attached it to the other side of her collar before taking the dishes to the back.

She wore the pin for the rest of her shift, but she didn't remove the dark magician girl pin. Why? Because she still liked it and Seto Kaiba cant tell her what to do.

"Sneaky jerk." She sighed before walking over to take another table's order.

* * *

Glancing at the clock, Kaiba felt his nerves go haywire. All of the odd things he felt earlier seemed to double in intensity since the last time he saw Gardner. Her shift had ended 15 minutes ago and she would soon be here in his office.

Kaiba frowned when he recalled how his research team had nothing to report to him once he got back. They had the audacity to ask for more time and that they would have the results by 5:30. He had hoped that they could debunk any nonsense about the potion before Gardner had to arrive. That way he could have his security tell her to leave, or force her, whatever it came to.

He grinned while thinking about the look that would be on her face if he ever did such a thing. It would probably be flushed like it was today at the restaurant. Her nose would scrunch and her eyes would change to that darker blue whenever she got angry. As cliché as it sounds, Gardner was cute when she was mad.

Annoyed at his thoughts but shrugging them off, he continued to work on a few things before her arrival. Kaiba had convinced himself to take these odd feelings in stride. These feelings weren't truly his after all. With the potion affecting his thoughts and actions, there wasn't much he could do.

Besides, he had time to think about it and the events of this morning did make some sense. After he accidently drank the potion Kaiba remembered that he glanced at his computer. And who was it that just so happened to be in the photo on his monitor? Téa Gardner. That could have causes some kind of reaction.

The phone on his desk lit up as a silent call came through. Kaiba pressed the speaker button before answering with a sharp, "What is it?"

"Mr. Kaiba, a young lady is here to see you. Should I call security?" he receptionist replied.

He was tempted, boy was he tempted, but as much fun as it would have been to see her face, it wasn't worth it. Her and Mokuba would chew him out later.

"No, she has access."

It really was no time at all before both Gardner and his brother entered his office. Kaiba stood and gestured them to sit on his office couch. She was still wearing her uniform from work but her hair was taken out of her bun and fell to frame her face. Once they were all seated Mokuba grinned.

"Thanks for coming Téa! I know it doesn't seem like it but this could help us a lot."

"Right…" Téa looked at Mokuba inquisitively. "You still haven't really told me how on earth I would be of help with this."

Kaiba sighed and opened his mouth to dig his own grave.

"Unfortunately, when I was given that stupid concoction, it just so happened that I looked at a picture of you on my computer. This may have done something that triggered some emotions toward you. The severity and the duration of these symptoms are unknown. That's is why you are here."

Téa flushed slightly but looked directly into Kaiba's eyes. Her gaze was suspicious and it made him fidget with his shirtsleeve.

"Why did you have a picture of me?"

Heat pooled into his face as the weight of the accusation registered in his mind. It wasn't like he was gawking at a picture of _just her!_

"I didn't have a picture of _you_ ," he growled, "It was from a tournament, you just happened to be in it. Don't get any ideas Gardner."

"I was just asking, calm down." She sighed and looked over at Mokuba, "So Kaiba has fake feelings for me?"

Mokuba nodded slightly which caused Téa to groan. She put her head down in her hands and mumbled what seemed to sound like, "I need more female friends…"

Lifting her head up, she looked straight into Kaiba's eyes. They locked gazes and for some reason, Kaiba couldn't look away. Her eyes were a different shade of blue that he had never seen before. She was so intent to search his soul that he almost felt like letting her look. _Almost._

"Staring is very rude, I thought you would have some manners. Or did you lose them when you started hanging out with the geek squad?"

Rolling her eyes she shook her head, "Well, I should have known you wouldn't be a romantic. As Kaiba-ish as ever."

Mokuba was about to intervene when a knock came from the office door. Kaiba gave the command for them to enter and the door opened to reveal one of Kaiba Corp.'s researchers. Suspense filled the air as all three of them spotted the paperwork in the man's hands.

Kaiba stood up and looked at the researcher expectantly. The man quickly began to uncover the findings of the analysis. Shuffling through the papers he began to summarize each test. However, his boss was slowly getting impatient. He wanted to know the big question.

"I don't care about the process of the analysis." Kaiba snapped, "Just tell me the bottom line. And make it quick."

The researcher gulped and flipped to the last page.

"Well Mr. Kaiba, it seems that the tests concluded that the effects of the liquid developed by Mr. Wilson does not have the strength to affect the human species. Therefore the effects of the potion should not cause you any type of changes in your emotions or physical form. Isn't that great, Mr. Kaiba? The potion cannot harm you in any way!"

Mokuba's jaw dropped at the sudden information, and Téa felt her cheeks flush a deeper red. Kaiba however went pale and stared blankly at the researcher. Thoughts raced across his mind and he felt so many emotions at once. Dread, embarrassment, confusion, horror, and…relief? He didn't know what to feel, all he knew was that there might be some chance of him truly having emotions for Téa Gardner. And that terrified him.

Glancing hesitantly at the girl sitting on his couch, he noticed her looking back at him. She still seemed to still be shocked because her eyes were wide and confused. Blue met blue and Kaiba felt his heart thud in his throat. A flash of light caught his attention and he was surprised to see _his_ pin on her shirt collar. Some weird feeling fluttered in his chest and all of a sudden Kaiba felt sick.

"…shit." He muttered.

* * *

 **Thank you guys for reading! This was just a fun little prompt that I did, but I** **wasn't expecting it to be this long! I hope you guys enjoyed it and, while this was meant to be a one-and-done type of story, I have thought about continuing. However I'm not sure if I should or not. Please let me know what you think. Thanks again!**

 **~ Ketchup27**


End file.
